Wheel-cushion and means for mounting same



Patented June 15, 1920.

ARTHUR L. RUNYAN, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

WHEEL-CUSHION AND MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J one 15, 1920.

Application flied February 1, 1919. Serial No. 274,579.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, An'rnUu L. lil'NYAN. acitizen of the lnited States, and a resident of Omaha, in the county ofDouglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Wheel- Lushions and Means for Mounting home, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of resilient tires and uheels,and particularly to that class of wheels employing an outerwearing-tread mounted permanently upon a metal rim and having interposedbetween the rim and the wheel-band a shock-- absorbing cushion. lt isthe ol jet-t of my invention to provide for wheels of this class animproved form of cushion, and means for assembling and mounting thesame, whereby the tire-aml-cushion structure may be completely assembledand at any subse quent time placed upon or removed from a wheel, withoutotherwise disturbing the assembly. A further object oi my invention isto provide a resilient cushion for use in structures of the classdescribed. wherein the cushion as formed initiall' comprises a. pair ofsimilar parts, each having a multiplicity of spaced air-pockets therein.and said pair of parts, when assembled to form the complete cushion,being interlocluwl with each other so as to tit together in a definiterelation such that the pockets opening to the adjacent surlm-es of theparts a re sealed to confine the air therein. A further object of myinvention is to provide a cushion and mounting of thischaracter, whereinthe several concentric parts are retained laterally without the use oiside-members overlapping the same radially, and without the use oibolts, screws or like fastening devices.

in the accompanying drawings Figure 1 a side iew oi a wheel providedwith a cushion and mornting therefor embodying my invention, a portionof the structure being in vertical section, Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailtransverse section on the line 2-2 of l ig. Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof one of the cushion parts, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view oi anotherpart of the cushion, each of the two latter figures disclosing atransverse section of the respective cushion part.

In carrying out my invention accordin to the illustrated embodimentthereof, employ a solid rubber tire 5 mounted upon a. channeled rim 6,said tire and rim being of the form and construction known commerciallyas standard S. A. E. solid tire and rim. The wheel is also of standardform and construction. having the usual hub 7, spokes 8, telly El. and ametal band ll) secured upon the periphery of the folly. The tire-rim 6is one or more nominal sizeb, larger than the whecHmnd 10, however, sothat when said rim and band are disposed concentric-ally a suitableannular space is formed between them for the reception of my specialcushion and mounting means.

The body ll of the resilient cushion provided by my invention is made ofsoft rubher or like material, and is molded initially in two rectilinearstrips A and B. which are identical in form but are reversed in theassembled structure. so that their corresponding faces are respectivelyopposite each other. In general, the transverse. sectional form of thestrips is rectangular, being of greater width than thickness, butvarying from a true rectangle in the. particulars hereinafter mentioned.The upper and lower. or inner and outer, faces of the strips each haveformed therein a series of tapering airpockets 12, the buses or largerends oi said pockets being coincident with said faces, and each pocketas a whole being wedge-shaped or pyramidal in form. In each face thepockets 12 are spaced apart both transversely and longitudinally of thestrip, the openings of the pockets being arranged like the alternatesquares of a check erboard, but being slightly smaller than theintervening continuous surfaces or parts of" the face. The pocketsopening to one i ace of the strip are also in alternating or stagg redrelation to the pockets opening to the other face of the strip, wherebythe point or apex of each pocket is in proximity to a solidplane-surfaced part of the face. of the strip oppositev that to whichthe pocket opens. The side-portions or edges of the strips are slightlyless in thickness than the central portion thereof, the. reduction ofthickness: being made entirely on one face of each strip, so that theother face is substantially llat or plane-stn'faced from edge to edge.The latter face is provided. however, adjacent to one edge thereof andupon the portions intermediate the pockets 12 of the longitudinal rowadjoining said edge, with a series of lugs '13 of which the form isidentical with that of the pockets 12, considering the latter as takento a the face of the strip equal to the eight of de tli from the lugstherefrom. Thus, it will be seen, from Figs. 2, 3 and 4, that when thecushionstrips are reversed and the flat faces thereof juxtaposed, thelugs .13 of each strip will enter the pockets at the opposite edge ofthe other strip, thereby interlocking and cstah lishing a relation ofthe abutting faces oi. the strips such that the ends of the pockets 12opening to said faces will he closed respectively by the portionsintermediate the pockets of the other strip.

In formin the complete cushion. the strips A and are juxtaposed as abovedcscrihed, and secured together hy cementing or vulcanizing, or both,and at the sides of the cushion the joint hctween the strips ispreferably covered by strips 14 ot' lahrie or the like. as shown in Fig.2. said strips 14- heing permanently attached to the cushion in the samemanner that the cushion-strips are attached to each other. Obviously. asthe cushion-strips are initially rectilinear while the completed cushionis of annular form, the outer strip B must be slightly elongated toprovide the greater circumferential length, hut, owing to the characteroi the material employed therein. such elongation of said strip may bereadily effected without causing any appreciahle stress or distortionthereof. Each of the strips A and B will also have a radial joint at theabutting ends thereof, and said end joints of the strips may he oli'set'circum fcrentially, so that each will he adjacent to a continuousportion of the other strip.

The sides or edges of the cushion which receive the jointstrips l l areslightly hol lowed. as shown. and at each corner of the cushion there isa laterally extending rounded head if) and a similar radially extendinghead 16. Said heads l5 and, 1.6 are adapted to fit lirmly into annulargrooves in the cushiou-retaining rings. the heads 15 tending to resistradial displacement of the cushion from the rings, and the heads 16tending to prevent lateral displacement ot the heads 15 from theirgrooves. Adjoining the heads 15. hetwcen the same and the hollowedportions which receive the jointstrips 14. the sides oi thc cushion areslightly flared, and the flanges oi' the re taming-rings are sotormeitas to press said flared portions into parallelism, so that anespecially tight joint is formed hctwccn the cushion and the edges oisaid llanges.

in the asscmhliug oi thc retaining-rings and cushion, the lattcr islirst placed upon the inner ring l7. which is a continuous annular metalhody having sidc-llaugcs c\'- tending outwardly to cmhra c tllc lah-ralportions or cdgcs ol' the cushion. and hcing grooved. a ahorc mentioned.to rcccivc the heads 15 and in. The outcr retaining-ring is l alrainrcrsc scclional l'orni similar to lhc r r l? hut is inadc in tnosynnnciri al parts in and 1S heing divided in a. plane intermediate theinwardly flanged sides thereof. The outer retaining-ring, formed hy thcparts 18 and 19. is ot such external diameter as to he a. force-titwithin the the rim i3. exccpt near the inner edges of the said parts Inand 19, where the same are slightly hen-led. as shown at 20 in Fig. 2,

to facilitate the starting of said edges into the spa e hctween the rim(5 and the cushionhody. The assembling of the outer ringparts he and I!)with the cushion and tirerim 6 is ctliwtcd simultaneously. the cushion,previously mounted upon the ring 17, being placed within and concentricto the rim 6, and said parts In and 19 then being forced into theintervening space between the rim and cushion.

The assembling of the cushion, retainingrings. tire and rim, as ahovedescribed. may he regarded as factory operations, and produce acommercially completed article ready to he sold as an entity, and to heput into use by merely pressing the ring 17 onto the hand ill of thewheel with which the tire is to he used. the operation hcing the same asthe placing of a plain tire-rim, without the cushion, onto a wheel-hand.The necessary mechanical equipment for so pressing tires upon wheels iscommon and widely dispersed. heing normally employed for assembling anddemounting stamlard tires and wheels of the class wherein the tire isretained latcriilly of the wheel by being a. f()l('@-fit thereon. sothat when pressed into place it is retained thereon frictionally. It illhe ohserved that I employ this same principle of assembly for holdingtogether laterally the several parts of my cushion-anil-tire structure,so that it is unnecessary to use radiallyawerlapping memhers. holts.screws or the like, for maintaining the parts in proper relativeposition. It will also he ohservcd that in the assciuhicd structure eachof the air-pockets 12 of the cnshioinhody is cll'ectivcly scaled so asto prcvcnt the cscape of air therefrom or the cntry of foreign mattertherein. l y the use in the cushion of air-pockets of the dcscrihcd formand arrangement, a suhstantially permanent and highly resilient hody isformed with the use of a. minimum amount and weight ol' rnhher. thestructure hcing such that whcu under commcssion thc side-walls oicach[)liih'tll are gradually thickcucd and canscd to flow into the pocl ct.to thcrchy rcducc the voluine thereof and comprcss lh air thereinaccording to the loads on the vchiclc.

Now. having discrihed my invention, what i laim and desire to secure byLeticrs l'atent is.

l. The omhinatiou with a resilient treadnicinhcr. and a metal rim onwhich said trcrulmcnihcr is mounted, ol? an inner between the flanges ofsaid retaining ring and extending outwardly therefrom, and an outertwo-part cushion-retaining ring ing inwardly extending flanges en agingthe sides of the cushion, said ring ivided at a plane intermediate theflanges thereof and the two parts thereof being force-fitted within saidrim so as to be frictionally retained laterally thereof, and said innercushion-retaining ring being force-fitted upon a wheel-band so as to befrictionally retained laterally thereof. 1

' 2. The combination with a wheel and an outer substantially rigidannular member, of a resilient annular cushion interposed between thewheel-rim and said member, an integral retaining-ring force-fitted uponthe wheel-rim and having side-flanges embracing the inner side-portionsof the annular cushion, and a two-part retaining- 1 ring force-fittedwithin the annular member and having side-flanges embracing the outerside-portions of the annular cushion, said two-part retaining-ring beingdivided circumferentiall between its side flanges into separate si esections.

3. In, a structure of the class described, an annular cushion ofsubstantially rectangular transverse section and having integrallaterally extending and radially extending beads adjacent to each cornerthereof, and metal retaining-rings embracing the outer and inner facesand portions of the sides of said cushion, said retaini'ngmings groovedto receive the lateral and radial beads at the corners of the cushion,and one of said retaining-rings divided circumferentially between itsside edges to form side sections adapted to be forced respechav-' tivelywithin a rigid annular member and to be frictionall y retained thereon.

4. In a structure of the class described, an annular cushion ofresilient material, comprising com-entric arts each of approximatelyrectangular transverse section, each of said cushion-parts having seriesof tapering air-pockets in the inner and outer faces thereof, saidair-pockets opening to said faces so that the openings and thecontinuous portions of each face form a checkerboard arrangement and theopening of each pocket is opposite a continuous portion of the oppositeface, said GllSlllOlbPilI'tS being juxta iosed so that in the abuttingfaces the'reortlru opening of each pocket is opposite a continuousportion of the other cushion-part, whereby to close the openings of therespective pockets, and means on each cushion-part adapted to extendinto some of the pockets of the other part to interlock the partsagainst relative lateral movement.

5. A cushion of the class described, comprising separately forniedconcentric parts each having in the inner and outer faces thereof seriesof air-pockets spaced apart laterally and circumferentially, the pocketsopening to said faces and the sides of said pockets converging towardthe opposite faces of the respective parts, the pockets in oppositefaces of each part being rela tively interspaced to providesubstantially uniform walls between the pockets, the abutting faces ofthe partsbeing adapted "to mutually close the pockets of the opposingfaces, and means on each part fitting into some of the pockets of theadjoining part to retain said parts against relative lateraldisplacement.

ARTHUR L. RUN YAN.

